The role of public policy in health care promotion: a comparative perspective

Abstract

This paper analyse the role of public policy in health care promotion in a comparative perspective. Public health has become a sensible issue, which takes up a prominent position in public and political debate. National health systems throughout the world face a common set of core challenges related to demography, epidemiology, developments in science and technology, medical demand and rising public expectations. These pressures are producing common challenges in the objectives and activities of health care in several key areas, including health promotion and the prevention of health problems. At the same time, it is also necessary to recognize the role of the political, legal and governmental processes, as well as the clinical and professional variables, in shaping different societal responses to health care promotion challenges. The approach this paper takes is to look at the documentary record for evidence of changes in the ideas and in the identity of actors that may be moving health care policy towards health promotion. This analysis is not definitive, as that would require detailed quantitative and qualitative empirical data about how health promotion is operating within the member states. However, this paper can provide a conceptual account for the determinants of health promotion and some important variables influencing the new governance in health promotion